Wednesday, 9 July 2014
Alcea, commonly known as hollyhocks,
is a genus of about 60 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae. They are native to Asia and Europe. Hollyhocks are
annual, biennial, or perennial plants usually taking an erect, unbranched form.
The herbage usually has a coating of star-shaped hairs. The leaf blades are
often lobed or toothed, and are borne on long petioles. The flowers may be
solitary or arranged in fascicles or racemes. The notched petals are usually
over 3 centimeters wide and may be pink, white, purple, or yellow. The fruit is
a schizocarp, a dry disc divided into over 15 sections that contain seeds. Source
